


Where We Begin.

by roy_ryn97



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, I'm Sorry, Keitorweek2017, M/M, Potentially OOC, infinite realities, keitorweek, some canon info maybe wrong, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-25 08:43:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12527440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roy_ryn97/pseuds/roy_ryn97
Summary: Okay so I may have made it into a story, whoops.Follow the relationship between Keith and Lotor grow as they become friends, and then maybe more following along side the keitorweek2017 prompts.– Half Galra– Leadership– Free day– Seeking Solace– Bonding– Solitude– Parents– What if…I make no promises to update on time to the prompt dates, uni sorry:/





	1. Half Galra

**Author's Note:**

> sooooo KeitorWeek2017 *finger guns* I hope you enjoy and that the characters aren't too out of character as I am writing this at 1 am. 
> 
> Also I apologise in advance for the horrible grammar/spelling/layout of this story I have dyslexia and I'm still learning to write things properly and concisely, it's never too late right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the prompt Half Galra, hopefully I did it justice.

When Keith found out that he had Galran blood flowing through is veins he didn’t quite know what to do, should he flee, run from his friends the people that he had started to see as a family. He didn’t know who they would react, he suspected that Allura and Coran act inhospitably. The blood in his veins had caused the death and destruction of their world, their people, their friends, and their families it would be a natural reaction to be revolted by him, to fear him, and it happened his friends they were scared of him, they thought of him differently. He was no longer just Keith to them, he was now Galra!Keith all the progress he had been making with his new friends had vanished. Everything they had previously thought of him was out the window, their friendships the trust. They acted different around him if before they were nervous around him, the only one of the paladins who was relatively unknown to the rest of the paladins, they were now walking on eggshells afraid he would break, afraid he would turn evil and betray them. It wasn’t their fault he knew that rationally but irrationally he was tired of the people he cared about leaving him, he was tired of being alone, tired of no one caring about him. It only lasted for a short while he earned back their trust, slowly unsure of why he had lost it to him he was the same Keith that he had always been, if anything his own past was even more confusing. The only one of the paladins who had ever known him in the past was Shiro, he was practically his brother he had always trusted him always believed in him when even he himself could not. When he went missing Keith didn’t know what to do, he was suddenly the black paladin of Voltron, the team leader The others they had never known him personally, he was just the pilot that got himself kicked out of the garrison, he was hot headed and had no chill, the team their trust in him was fragile and he knew it and if any other planet found out that he was part Galran could they trust Voltron to protect the universe, would they still put their trust in him, could his friends? 

Then Lotor came about, him and his generals all of them other Galran hybrids another link in the missing chain of his life but there was no time to ask questions with the whole fighting each other deal. They were enemies.

When Shiro returned it felt wrong to be the black paladin, Keith he wasn’t a leader, he started to pull away from the rest of the paladins, take up more Blade of Marmora assignments to somehow prove to them that he wasn’t needed, that Shiro could still lead them, that he was still the black paladin and not him. And it worked, he was late for a mission and Voltron was needed, Shiro was able to pilot the black lion and Keith wasn’t needed anymore. More Blade assignments came through and he finally felt that he was somewhere that needed him to be him, not to be the black paladin, not to be the leader, just him. And for a while he was, then the day came where the rebels and the blades and Voltron tried to take back areas of Galran occupied space, it was tough some didn’t survive; Keith himself almost didn’t, being the self-sacrificing idiot he was he almost blew himself up in the process of saving everyone else’s lives. Keith figured it was a good deal, but before he could fly his fighter into the other ships defences the ship he was flying at blew up and the shock wave blew him back in a thick fog. A voice came out of the darkness, a familiar voice saying something he couldn’t quite make out from the ringing in his ears being so close to the explosion maybe something about having the same goals, soon he succumbed to the need to sleep.  
Keith awoke stumbling out of a healing pod in the castle and not in the blade of Marmora base for reasons unknown to him. “Welcome back buddy,” Lance said to him slapping his shoulder, “You know that going to sleep after hitting your head is a bad idea, right?” as he raised his bows jokingly.  
Keith groaned and rolled his shoulder “No Lance, I have never been told that in my life,” He snarked back “What even happened out there? One minute were close to failing the universe the next we’re all back here on the castle.” He asks his former teammate.  
“Well it’s kind of a long story, but you would not believe who saved or asses.” Lance tries to laugh the experience off when a purple blob from, the corner of his eye caught his attention. 

“Well what story are you going to try and give our brave warrior without the hero of the tale, who knows what you’re going to weave to him.”  
“Lotor!” Keith exclaims “What the hell is he doing here Lance?”  
“Well that’s part of the story,” Lance says sheepishly as he rubs the back of his head. “We probably would have all died if not for Lotor he blew up the ship that was channelling the energy which was creating a heavier atmosphere and the henlite, I think or whatever, it was this powder thing that was about ready to blow up the entire planet and cause the death of thousands of planets nearby, but Lotor came along and blew a hole of through their defences and into the ship itself. Which is why you got blown back, but it doesn’t explain why you were so close to the ship in the first place.” Lance looked at Keith softly with concern. “Why were you so close to the ships defences?” Keith looks away from his friend “I was doing anything I could so that the mission would succeed.” He exhaled “Look it’s not something I want to talk about right now, could you guys just go away,” he looks at his friend, and their former enemy who was still standing near the door of the medical bay. “I kind of just want to be alone right now.” Lance backs away from him and goes out towards the door as he walks past Lotor he pats the front of Lotor’s shoulder “C’mon buddy leave him alone.”  
“I actually have a few questions for our old friend” Lotor says as he turns his head towards lance as he leaves “Unrelated to the battle, so no worries about me upsetting him.”  
Lance scoffs “He’s not your friend, we’re barely allies.”  
“Hmm yes no doubt,” Lotor walks forward carrying an air of elegance on a royal could “buddy.” He says with a grin on his face, Keith almost lost his composure and laughed. Did Lotor just make a joke, at Lance’s expense? Maybe he will fit in around her after all. Lance looks at Keith in disbelief, his eyes going between Keith and Lotor mouth agape and finger switching between the two of them. Keith just looks at him with annoyance in his eyes, Lance gets the message and nods and keeps on going to leave.  
Keith waits a few seconds before addressing Lotor “So the prince does have a sense of humour” Keith smirks at him “So to what do I owe the pleasure of a personal meeting with the price himself.” Trying to put on a brave face to the Galran prince that had once tried to kill them all.  
“Owe, nothing your princess told me that you just so happened to have galran blood I just came to see how you were, I do have a certain fondness for those like myself.”  
“So that explains the lack of bulk to you” Keith says without thinking, Lotor stills, “I didn’t mean that to be so negative, you look arguably a lot better than those who well are, no offence”  
“Non taken” Lotor says cooley “The Galran soldiers never really looked to me as a true heir to the empire, I was always hidden away from the people who I should have one day ruled. I suppose my father did too.”  
“Lotor I’m sorry, I I didn’t mean to hurt you, sure you’re an ass but you didn’t deserve that.” Keith tries to comfort him  
“ I suppose that is true, but then we wouldn’t be here today.”  
“True, you could have been even more of an ass, and you might have actually succeeded, in whatever scheme you were trying to do.”  
“Oh that, that would have never worked, too many different variables, too many working parts.”  
“Oh yeah cause Voltron, and the Blades, and the rebel fighters, don’t have nearly as many moving parts as you team of five.” Keith tries to joke, “What happened with your crew if you don’t mind me asking?”  
“You can ask away, I just have one condition.” Lotor looks up at him from where he was standing a few feet away. “What were you doing so close to one of my father’s battle ships?” Keith looks away “I guess that if fair” he says voice on the steady side of almost breaking. “I erm I didn’t know what to do, my friends where seconds away from death, the galaxy around us was in danger and our fire power alone wasn’t enough to break the ships defences. I did what I thought I had to do, what I thought was right. My life over the paladins lives, over the blades, the rebels, over the lives of all the people in the planets and galaxies that was close to blowing up. So, I erm I piloted the fighter I was in to head straight for the ships defences, blow a gap into it to maybe give my friends a chance to survive and save the day.”  
Keith has sat down now on the steps by the healing pods, motioning for Lotor to follow suit. “Then you showed up and I guess blew up the ships defences and the ship, or well at least stopped it from doing whatever it was doing to the planet, you probably know more about what happened after than then me given the whole passing out thing. “Keith chuckled, trying to diffuse the tension between them. “That was a very reckless thing you did, very brave true, but reckless non-the less.” Lotor says to him. “We may have more in common than we once thought.” He sighs “Both so reckless, perhaps that’s just a trait in those like us.” 

“I kept up my end of the deal, why are you alone Lotor?” Keith asks  
“Hmm yes. It’s an awfully long story starting at my birth really, I was an ugly half breed, perhaps the first few years of my life were good I can’t really remember, all I do remember is that my father kept me locked away, kept me trained as any good pet would be trained, I was put into formal training once he had distanced his image away from me. He had killed all the people in the world where my mother was from it didn’t look good to have a half breed child never mind once who was an Altean mongrel. I was a good soldier, I did as I was told and I didn’t question my superiors, at least not to their faces anyway.” Lotor chuckled as if he was remembering a memory fondly, something Keith couldn’t imagine having any fond memories with a life like that. “Well then, I met Acxa, she was the first Galran hybrid I had ever met other than myself and she was a formidable warrior, faster and more agile than any of the other soldiers in training, maybe because of her slender frame than the others, maybe because she was just that good. We became fast friends much to the annoyance to our trainers, after this came Ezor, and then Narti, and finally Zethrid. After our training was over I was sent away to the furthest regions of the Galran Empire, the only grace my father ever gave me was that I could choose my own team and who else would I choose then the people who could understand what it is like to be an outcast and alone, my friends. And you know what happened once you defeated my father, well the most important bits anyway.” Lotor stands as if the telling of this story was making him restless and he starts to pace slowly, “But then he started to wake up and things got bad for me again, he no longer trusted me, or witch didn’t and she had me summoned back to his ship for a meeting,” He spat the word out like it was a poison, “And she was able to infiltrate the mind of the cat Narti was bonded to, and she was a danger to us. I did what I had to do, perhaps there was a better thing to do, but I couldn’t think of what to do, the witch she just she has a hold on me that no one else does and I don’t think I just act and now Narti is dead, and my friends betrayed me. I don’t blame them, I had become a danger to them, they did what they had to do, and again I did what I had to do, and I ran. I ran from my old friends, from my father, and here we are today. I am a fugitive from the Galra empire and I am here with you and your people.” 

Keith stands and moves towards Lotor “For what it is worth I am sorry for what you have been through, no one deserves to be abandoned by their family” He holds out his hand for Lotor to shake, which he does but he also used it as an opportunity to pull him forward so that his face was close to Lotors “Thank you, Keith. If you ever need to talk to anyone or you just want to train I will be there.” Lotor drops his hand and takes a few steps back “Should you ever need to talk about the blood which flows through your veins, I will do all I can to aide you.” Lotor beings to walk away from Keith and out of the med bay.  
“You know I’m not going be at the Castle all that often anymore, I’m a part of the blade now, Voltron it doesn’t need me anymore.” Lotor stills  
“Reckless and idiotic huh,” Lotor murmurs “You have to be very idiotic to think that the blades need you more than the team here needs you” He leaves Keith in the med bay to ponder his words as he walks away.


	2. Same Bullshit Different Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a few weeks after Lotor and Keith's first official meeting.

It had been a few weeks since Keith and Lotor’s first proper encounter as allies and their friendship had only gotten stronger, whilst the other paladins and members of the blade were distrustful of Lotors actions Keith knew that Lotor only wanted a second chance to rectify all his mistakes, and he had made many in his life time. Admittedly Lotor did have some differing opinions on how to deal with the Galra and what would happen after his father and Hagger were defeated, such as him taking over the Galran empire, whilst Voltron were vastly against any Galran rule in the universe. Keith agreed, no one should have to suffer under the rule of another being, but he also agreed that there were some worlds that had been under Galran rule for too long to remember what it was like to be free and may not know how to lead themselves, there had to be a middle ground right?  
“Look I’m just saying that maybe you all have some good points and that all of you have some bad ideas too,” Keith was in the middle of the lounge at the castle trying to stop a fight from occurring between the paladins and Lotor. “You guys are never going to sort things out and come to an agreement if all you do is yell at each other!” He huffed, he couldn’t count the number of times he had been called from the blade base to help resolve the tensions at the castle. “Seriously, just sort it out, how do you think to save the universe if you can’t even be civilised with each other.”  
“C’mon Keith, it’s Lotor you’re talking about, you know the one who would throw us under a bus if it meant saving his own skin.” Hunk said as Lotor stilled, Keith could remember what had happened to Lotor’s old team.  
“Hunk you’re just distrustful of everyone.” Keith says to Hunk, he then turns to the rest of the paladins. “We need to show that we can actually get along, prove to the masses that even after everything we’re not all monsters here, that not every Galran wants to enslave others, that we can trust each other and work together. Yes, we have the blades but they’re a secret organisation, working in secret. Having Lotor the old Prince of the Galran empire will prove a lot, but to do that we need to give each other a chance.” Keith begins to get emotional, he knows what it’s like to be outcast with the paladins for being part Galran, true he had not known of this fact, and Lotor definitely did, and had previously worked for the empire, nobody knew all the facts because nobody trusted each other to not use their pasts against each other. Keith sighs “For once can you guys please just talk” he finishes exasperated, walking form the small gathering to the couches to sit.  
“He’s right you know, we have to proceed as a united front.” Lotor says to the group, “We” Lotor gets cut off “We shall proceed united, as soon as you understand that I nor the rest of the paladins shall condone your empire.” Allura says to the disgraced prince, it’s clear her heart is in the right place, but she also distrusts any of those with Galran blood until she has been given reason to trust them, so far Lotor hadn’t made the best first impression. “The princess is right, we can’t take down one empire just to be the ones who aide in the next.” Shiro says “I’m hardly talking about the same type of empire my father help, I’m not particularly fond of all the pillaging and the murder, I’m just saying that there are areas of my father’s empire which haven’t been free in centuries, I for one am all for allowing those who want to leave to leave, but for those few who do not think that they could not survive without the help of the empire, without a leader. Like with your coalition, you technically lead them yes, they are free but Voltron leads the path. Why is it impossible for you to allow me to do the same for those who were previously a part of the Galran empire?” Lotor asks the Princess who team taken aback by the accusation that the coalition would be anything like the Galran Empire. “Our coalition only wants to bring peace to the universe, not control it and reign terror.” Allura fires back, knowing the full force of Zarkon’s aggression.  
“What? Did you think my father started his reign to control the galaxies? No, he wanted to be a symbol for the people to be united under, his madness started to take control, and I never saw my true father again.” Lotor told them sadness in his eyes as he crossed over to where Keith was sitting and sat across from him in the circle. “You’ve been asleep for the past ten thousand years Princess don’t pretend to know knowledge you don’t have.” Coran starts to open his mouth, no doubt to defend Allura, like when Pidge had mouthed off at Allura during the paladins first few weeks of training, so Keith decided to step in.  
“C’mon guys seriously not two seconds after I tell you to stop yelling, you’re already on the brink of yelling? I cannot believe this, and I’m the hot headed one.” Keith stands back up exasperated, “Yes yes we all have our problems, and we all have shit to sort out, but seriously grow the fuck up, if you guys truly want to defend the universe or whatever, get you’re act together.” Storming out of the lounge and into the hallway annoyed with the pettiness of it all. Lance turned to go follow Keith when Pidge grabbed his arm when they saw Lotor already leaving, shaking their head Pidge says, “Just leave them be, sort it out themselves. Maybe they can both do some good for each other, maybe Keith can explain to Lotor why we’re not exactly for a revival of the Galran empire after we take down his dad.”  
Keith left the lounge and went through the halls into the training room not even noticing Lotor following behind him, when he got to the room he didn’t even start up a training sequence he just let out a loud yell, to get all the rage out of his body. “You told me before that you didn’t fancy yourself a good leader, you mustn’t think of yourself that highly.” Lotor says surprising Keith. “You know, you could have knocked” he joked trying to keep calm still annoyed from the lounge. “I can’t keep splitting my time between here and with the blades to stop you from fighting with everyone.” Lotor hums and leans against the doorway. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have to. Just stay here, for now at least. Until I have started to get along with your friends.” Keith turns towards Lotor “I don’t think you’ll ever start to get along with them if you keep referring to them as only my friends,” Keith sits on the floor arms bracing his back as he looks up, he sighs. “You all want the same thing- basically, or at least you all want your father dead, does it really matter how that happens.” Lotor joins Keith on the floor. “You guys are all so very confusing, you say one thing but act in another. You say you want the best for the people of the universe but then you act like my father did when he started out his own, acting off of tragedy and using people’s fears against them. Say what you will about him but my father knew who to get people to rally for his causes, he could have been a good leader if not for the madness corroding him.” The prince sighs Keith knew his life must have been filled with turmoil not wanting to disappoint his father praying that if he did the right things and acted the right way he would one day be back in his good books instead of over looked and neglected, Keith can understand that, the hope that his own dad would return home, pay attention to him, he had his own work to do to help his son survive, but one day he never returned and Keith never found out why. “You know some of the things you said in there did make sense, there will be people out there that don’t think their plants would survive without the help out an empire backing them, but again I don’t think that it should just be one person, from one species to lead them. There has to be away to protect those people right?” Keith asks Lotor turning his heard to face the prince. “There may be a way yes, but for now we should focus our energies on the fight before us. We are weak when we are not aligned.” Lotor tells him also tired of all the fighting. Trying to make Lotor understand the point of view of his former teammates Keith says to him “You need to understand, Allura and the paladins won’t see you as anything other than the former prince of the Galran empire who is just looking to overthrow his father and manipulate them into aiding you if you do not talk to them about just exactly you want, they maybe in the wrong on some of these out looks but you’re not helping if every time these things come up you just shut it down. Take a day or two to gather your thought on what you want then have a discussion with them, know what you want and have somethings you will concede to so it does look like you’re willing to work with them and allow them some leeway.” Keith is now sat crossed legged on the soft mats of the training room floor sitting across from Lotor looking him in the eyes, pleading with him to just try and work things out with the paladins. “Talk about manipulating the crowd, and you’re giving me advice on just how to do so.” Lotor chuckles softly “What would you suggest then Keith? For someone so adamant they aren’t a leader you do act like one very well.” Surprising Keith when he asks for his opinion. “Well I don’t know I’m not exactly an expert on all these alien politics, nor am I familiar with how the galaxies functions before Zarkon’s reign. Back on earth there were these organisations with representatives from countries all over the globe where they would all come together to try and sort out the world’s problems, maybe you could form one with all of the planets which while are free you as the leader in the governing body hold a higher claim to all proceedings.” Keith ran his hands through his hair, “Look I don’t know if I’m explaining this well, I’m trying to change an earth concept to function at a galactic level and I don’t even know if that would work out.” Lotor grabbed Keith’s other hand trying to comfort him “No, no it makes sense, in a way. I think my father had some old books in one of his ships I read as a child where some areas of the galaxy there were organisations, as you put it, like that before the empire began. I think my father began the empire by taking over some of them.” Lotor let go of Keith’s hand and began to stand up, “I would be honoured if you would take a seat in these future conferences if it should go forward, you may not think yourself a skilled leader, but you have all the best qualities to be one.” Offering Keith his hand to help him up, Keith took it. “Now would you like to take out our anger in a more useful manner? This place seems to be the perfect place for a good old-fashioned fight.” Lotor asked him. As Keith took out his knife from his belt and activated its ability to become a sword he replied “You’re on.”


End file.
